Custom feeds are not communities. But they can become commons.

A new paper examines blocking on Bluesky: "…blocking does not decrease the popularity and activity of the blocked users and has a limited effect on the social graph." There is a lot more nuance in here. h/t @index.internet.exchangepoint.tech.ap.brid.gy openaccess.city.ac.uk/id/eprint/36822/

For our first launch of the year, we're kicking off with more blocking features! Rolling out today: ATProto across Bluesky, Blacksky, and any other PDS can apply domain blocklists to Bridgy Fed. Blocks come with if you Bounce, and we even added a handy list of reputable blocklists to choose from.

@toni.bsky.team @alexbenzer.com i think yall need to wrestle with the fact that the app’s most distinctive feature (“custom feeds”) is something only (relative) nerds use and benefit from. normal people won’t swipe between many algorithms or whatever. have a look at past designs for “communities”

Custom feeds are the singular theory of action for growing the open social web and reorienting distribution and monetization in the attention economy. I don't have all the answers, but the future of social is becoming clearer everyday. jshaked.leaflet.pub/3mhqtyaufyc26

A new paper examines blocking on Bluesky: "…blocking does not decrease the popularity and activity of the blocked users and has a limited effect on the social graph." There is a lot more nuance in here. h/t @index.internet.exchangepoint.tech.ap.brid.gy openaccess.city.ac.uk/id/eprint/36822/

I do not block often but today I blocked some people for uncritical distribution of the defamatory (and poor) paper on our meta-analysis, or for even joining the toxic choir.